1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for inhibiting the formation of scars associated with wounds. The invention particularly pertains to a composition for inhibiting scar formation comprising hydrolyzed collagen as the basic ingredient.
2. Description of the Related Art
Scarring is a natural response to the healing of wounds in a patient's skin. The wound healing process can be divided into three successive stages. A first inflammatory stage begins immediately after the injury which caused the wound. The inflammatory stage lasts up to a week during which time cellular processes remove damaged tissue and foreign matter from the wound. The inflammatory stage is followed by a proliferative stage which is characterized by fibroblast proliferation and the production of collagen and proteoglycans. The proliferative stage can last from days to weeks and is typically the stage during which scar formation begins. After the proliferative stage, a remodeling phase begins where the matrix which was produced in the proliferative stage is remodeled into an organized, cross-linked structure which increases the mechanical strength of the healed tissue.
Scars which are formed during the healing response are often treated after the healing is complete by cosmetics or surgical treatment. Cosmetic treatments are at best temporary solutions, and the need to have subsequent surgery is both inconvenient and a risk to the patient. It would therefore be desirable to provide a composition which could diminish scar formation during the healing process itself so that such subsequent procedures would be unnecessary or at least reduced in scope.
Thus, a composition useful for scar reduction during wound healing is desired.